The present invention relates generally to surgical instruments and, more to particularly, to fully controllable multi-fire clip appliers.
Clip appliers are frequently used in endoscopic, laparoscopic and other surgeries related to the use of a trocar or a small entry incision for the application of hemostatic clips. Typically, a clip is placed between the jaw of a clip applier to be crimped onto a vessel, tissue or an object, such as another clip. Some clip appliers have difficulty in placing the clips reliably and properly between the jaw to promote crimping and avoid clips from jamming before reaching the jaw. Clip appliers having the characteristics of simplicity in construction, reliability in operation and sufficiently economical to allow reusability or disposability are also hard to achieve. Complicated mechanical components or assemblies of a clip applier can also be expensive to produce, complex to manufacture and difficult to sterilize.
Additionally, rapidly applying multiple successive clips, which is often common, especially when a surgeon needs to curtail the loss of blood from a bleeding vessel, can prove to be a challenge. The timing or time period for placing the clip between the jaw of the clip applier after the jaw is sufficiently open to properly receive the clip and yet before a user attempts to crimp the clip is often limited. Providing the clip before the jaw is sufficiently open to receive the clip can cause the clip to jam within the applier or not be properly seated between the jaw and thereby ultimately causing the clip or tissue to be improperly crimped or unintentionally released from the jaw.
Furthermore, with some clip appliers, to permit rapid application of multiple clips, if a force is used to swiftly place the clip into the jaw, such a force may eject the clip from the jaw or improperly place or misalign the clip between the jaw. Also, if the jaw is not sufficiently opened, the clip may be deformed as the clip is forced into the jaw.
As such, ensuring that clips are fed in a manner that promotes crimping and substantially eliminates jamming is desirable. Tactile feedback provided to the surgeon or user and instrument operation should also be natural and comfortable thereby avoiding undue, obtrusive or wasted motions or force applied to or by the instrument.